Many devices use fluid as a means to power other devices. For instance, many devices such as trucks, heavy equipment, construction equipment, farm equipment, etc. will utilize a hydraulic system that uses pressurized hydraulic fluid (typically oil) to run hydraulic motors, drive hydraulic cylinders, etc.
Unfortunately, return hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic system contains entrained air in the form of microscopic bubbles. The source of this air can be a number of locations such as hydraulic cylinder rod seals, hydraulic pump and motor shaft seals and turbulence within the reservoir itself. Traditionally, the means by which to deal with this contamination is to build the reservoir large enough in order to increase the surface contact between hydraulic fluid and air within the tank. The larger amount of surface area and size of the tank allowed entrained air to escape by traveling to the surface of the reservoir, prior to the oil returning to the pump inlets.
Further, as hydraulic fluid is cycled through a system, the fluid will take on heat energy. Unfortunately, larger tank sizes are typically required to extract this excess heat.
The present invention relates to improvements in the prior art.